Canberra looks to get back $40m from Qatar bid

Adrian Proszenko, Heath Aston

Minister for Sport Peter Dutton has said the government will consider its position.

The Abbott government will consider legal action to recoup more than $40 million wasted on Australia's futile bid to host the 2022 football World Cup, won by oil-rich Qatar on the back of alleged systematic bribery.

Minister for Sport Peter Dutton said the government would ''consider options'' to claw back the money after reports that Qatari officials showered cash on football officials across the globe to secure the hosting rights in a landslide. Australia pulled just one vote.

Australian Football Federation chairman Frank Lowy has demanded FIFA return the money, while former Soccer Australia boss David Hill has said the Rudd government was ''mad'' to risk public funds ''when everybody knew the process was crook".

Qatar's apparent foul play has become a topic of concern in Canberra, with the head of the Health Department - which now oversees the Sport portfolio - agreeing that the process was ''crooked''.

Health secretary Jane Halton was questioned by independent Nick Xenophon in a senate hearing on the $42.25 million the government contributed.

''Given that the bidding process appears to have been deeply tainted and that Australia appears not to have had a sporting chance of succeeding in its bid, is the Australian government proposing to approach FIFA about a refund? The whole process seems to have been pretty crooked to me, Professor Halton,'' Senator Xenophon said.

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''I do not disagree with you,'' she replied, then saying legal recourse was a question for the minister.

Mr Dutton said the government would wait for the results of FIFA's independent investigation into the allegations football officials pocketed up to $US5 million in cash, as well as lavish gifts and free travel from former FIFA vice-president and Qatari national Mohamed bin Hammam.

''I think it's one step at a time and the first step is to wait and see … what the world body does. And then I think we can consider options,'' Mr Dutton said.

''Australia is obviously one of a number of countries that bid but I think the first step is to determine what is going to happen with Qatar.''

On Thursday, Senator Xenophon said: ''We never had a chance, taxpayers were ripped off and Sepp Blatter as president of FIFA should hang his head in shame that the bid has not yet been re-opened.''

Speaking in Sao Paulo on Wednesday, Mr Lowy said Australia's support for Mr Blatter hinged on his response to the report into corruption claims by FIFA chief investigator Michael Garcia.